EDUARDO RODRÍGUEZ

Position: SP B/T: L/L
Age: 30 (04/07/1993)

2023 Traditional Stats: 26 G, 26 GS, 152 2/3 IP, 13-9, 3.30 ERA, 1.153 WHIP, 143 SO, 48 BB
2023 Advanced Stats: 134 ERA+, 23.0% SO%, 7.7% BB%, 4.04 xERA, 3.66 FIP, 4.06 xFIP, 3.0 fWAR, 3.5 bWAR

RUNDOWN

Eduardo Rodríguez made 153 starts for the Boston Red Sox from 2015 till 2021, before signing a five-year, $77 million deal with the Detroit Tigers in November 2021. He only made 17 starts in 2022, going 5-5 with a 4.05 ERA in 91 innings. The starting pitcher had a three-month absence in the middle of that season due to personal reasons, which he would later describe as family-related. He was inconsistent once he made his return, pitching to a 4-2 record with a 3.81 ERA over his final nine starts. It was difficult to gauge how the remainder of Rodríguez’s contract would unfold, so questions were hanging over his head going into the following season.

Both the player and the team needed him to get off to a fast start in 2023, and he certainly did that. Rodríguez pitched to a 2.21 ERA through his first six outings, which caught the attention of many. He managed to keep his good run going in May, as he went 2-2 with a 2.03 ERA in 31 innings. That put Rodríguez on the radar of teams looking to add starting pitching ahead of the trade deadline, given that the Tigers were still quite a bit away from being near the top of the American League Central.

The Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a deal with Detroit to acquire the starter, but it fell through when Rodríguez chose to exercise his 10-team no-trade clause in order to remain with the Tigers. That news was shocking at the time, especially when you consider that he would have had the opportunity to complete for another World Series. Rodríguez stayed with the Tigers and had a good finish to the year, going 9-4 with a 3.89 ERA over his final 14 starts. After the season concluded, he opted out of the final three years of his contract to become a free agent this off-season.

CONTRACT

Despite mentioning his love for playing in Detroit, Rodríguez chose to become a free agent. He did that because he believes that he can get a long-term deal with an increased AAV this winter. Most of the league needs starting pitching, so that is likely a safe gamble by him and his agent. Rodríguez will turn 31 right at the beginning of the 2024 season, so I see him receiving a five-year deal with an option to extend it to a sixth. In terms of AAV, I think $20 million per season is fair number for him at this stage of his career.

MLB Trade Rumors projects Rodríguez to get a four-year, $82 million deal.

RECOMMENDATION 

Eduardo Rodríguez has always been a solid arm with plenty of experience at the big league level, but he is a No. 3 or No. 4 starter on a team contending for the postseason. The Mets need to create depth in their rotation, but it would be in their best interest if a No. 1 or No. 2 starter is brought in through free agency or a trade. While he performed like an ace in his two seasons with the Tigers, it is hard to tell if Rodríguez would be able to perform at that level in an environment with much loftier expectations. He did some good things during his time with in Boston, but the left-hander was in a position where he was at the backend of their rotation.

There is no denying that that Rodríguez is a good option for the Mets to potentially sign, but there are better options who are available in free agency. Jordan Montgomery, Yoshinobu Yamamoto or a trade for Dylan Cease make more sense for this team, but the interest in those three will be higher. If Rodríguez is available at a reasonable AAV, the Mets could and probably should take a look at bringing him in. Otherwise, it is hard to see a scenario where he ends up in New York this winter.